2 Students’ writing

Look at Figure 2. Which of the activities would be possible to do with your students in your classroom and school? Discuss this with a fellow teacher if possible. Think of the spaces in your classroom, and outside your classroom, where students could practise writing.

Figure 2 Examples of where students can write: in sand with fingers; outside with sticks; on the pavement with chalk; on the wall with paint; on recycled paper with pens; and on boards with chalk.

Now look at the checklist below.

• What to write with? Pencils, pens, paint, chalk, brushes, sticks.
• What to write on? Sand, pavement, chart paper, recycled paper, board, walls, floors, dirt, notebooks, small books made from recycled paper.

Discuss this checklist with a fellow teacher, if possible. What resources are available in your school?

Think of the writing resources you have, inside and outside the classroom, to encourage students to practise. Can you see any areas inside or outside your classroom where students could make marks and write freely?

Plan some sessions in your classroom over the next two to three weeks where you use one or more of the ideas given here. Discuss your plans with a fellow teacher or with your headteacher. You could organise lessons where groups of students do free writing in rotation throughout the week.

Do you have your students write any of the following in your class? Tick any that you have your students write:

• lists
• greeting cards
• birthday cards
• postcards
• letters
• invitations
• thank you notes
• menus
• advertisements
• recipes
• signs
• notes
• reminders
• labels
• tickets
• catalogues
• programmes
• emails
• text messages
• multimedia presentations, i.e. posters.

How are all of these different to writing stories or poems? Why are they written and who are they for? Where do we see them?

Do you think your students would enjoy writing any of the above? Why or why not? Can you find recent textbook lessons that refer to any of these kinds of writing?